1. Field
Aspects disclosed herein pertain to a mobile device that selectively collects reports log data, and more particular to wireless communication devices of a communication system that collect and wirelessly report log reports for troubleshooting installed components.
2. Background
Advances in technology have resulted in smaller and more powerful personal computing devices. For example, there currently exist a variety of portable personal computing devices, including wireless computing devices, such as portable wireless telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and paging devices that are each small, lightweight, and can be easily carried by users. Consumers are increasingly offered many types of electronic devices that can be provisioned with an array of software applications. Distinct features such as email, Internet browsing, game playing, address book, calendar, media players, electronic book viewing, voice communication, directory services, etc., increasingly are selectable applications that can be loaded on a multi-function device such as a smart phone, portable game console, or hand-held computer.
Even with these advances, mobile communication devices tend to have communication bandwidth, processing, and user interface constraints over general purpose computing devices. For example, the screen size, amount of available memory and file system space, amount of input and output capabilities and processing capability may each be limited by the small size of the device. Because of such severe resource constraints, the computing platforms for such devices are often optimized for a particular telephone chipset and user interface hardware. Applications thus tend to be written in a computer platform independent form, largely functioning in a virtual machine environment with provisions given only for interacting with a user interface.
Security considerations discourage providing additional communication channels to applications residing on a mobile communication device. Allowing applications to access wireless and/or cellular communication channels available to the device can come at the expense of a preferred communication use. In addition, user privacy can be compromised by a suspect application that gains access to a communication channel.
Yet in many situations it would be desirable for both a user and a third-party application developer to allow certain third-party applications to return information packets to a network. For example, a user could be compensated for allowing his usage of the device to monitored and reported, similar to a Nielsen television family. Better applications could be developed and deployed with feedback as to how users interact with them. A user of a game application may wish that his high scores could be advertised beyond merely a stored record on his own wireless device.